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Preventing Fruit Tree Disease |
By:
Andrew Kelly |
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Preventing Fruit Tree Disease
Andrew Kelly
Having just one fruit tree in a small garden can make a huge difference but in a larger garden such a tree can grow to maturity and there can be room for another one or two. In the case of fruit bearing trees this is great news because it is often necessary to have both a male and female tree to ensure germination. However those gardeners who grow pitted fruit trees, such as plum or cherry trees, will know that these types of fruit tree can often prove to be more susceptible to disease than others.
A sadly common fruit tree disease is Brown Rot which is a fungus that appears on fruit. Usually it develops on fruit that has fallen from the tree and been left to rot. As Brown Rot is a fungus it can spread very quickly as fungus produce lots of tiny little spores which, due to their size, are highly mobile.
For fungus to grow successfully it requires the right conditions which are mainly areas which remain damp and offer a suitable source of food. Obviously there are many parts on a fruit tree that could prove to be highly suitable and it is for this reason that an outbreak of Brown Rot can spread so quickly. Luckily we can help to reduce the suitability of the environment for fungal growth by simply pruning the fruit tree correctly.
To allow the free flow of air, and thus reduce dampness, it is necessary to prune fruit trees so that they are open. Once the tree has been pruned it will have an open structure that will also allow the sunlight to reach deep into the heart of the tree. Obviously a tree that is looked after well, and is given sufficient quantities of water, nutrients and sunlight, will grow well and be more able to withstand infection.
However effective against disease pruning can be the most obvious, easiest and quite possibly the most effective way to avoid fungal infection in your fruit tree is to ensure that all fallen fruit is immediately picked up and removed from the immediate area. Furthermore, by keeping a close eye on the tree a gardener can remove and quickly destroy any parts of the tree that show signs of fungal disease.
Cytospora canker is another disease that can appear on a fruit tree. Cytospora canker is another fungal disease but looks completely different to Brown Rot. Rather, it shows as soft dark patches, on branches, a callous forms and gum oozes from the bark of the tree. Commonly cytospora canker appears in old wounds which have not healed completely.
Again, to avoid this fungal infection/disease it is necessary to prune your fruit tree correctly. Great care should be taken to ensure a clean cut that will heal quickly and stand little chance of becoming infected with cytospora canker or any other fungus.
The two fungal diseases mentioned above, Brown Rot and cytospora canker, are but two of a number of different diseases which can infect a fruit tree. Fungal infections can be very problematic and even professional landscape gardeners can find themselves in some difficulty when trying to combat such a disease. Of course providing the correct amounts of water, sunlight and nutrients can greatly help a tree to grow healthy and strong. However, if you want to ensure a good annual crop from fruit trees you should really invest some time into finding out more about tree care and disease,
Landscaping Info 4U is an excellent source of gardening information including info about http://landscapinginfo4u.com/trees/deadly_fruit_tree_disease.php) disease in fruit trees and http://landscapinginfo4u.com/trees/caring_for_trees.php) general tree care
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article73867.html |
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